Revalesio's RNS60 Protects Myelin and Halts Multiple Sclerosis in Mice

TACOMA, Wash., Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Results from a collaborative project between Revalesio and Dr. Kalipada Pahan at Rush University showed remarkable therapeutic activity of Revalesio's novel therapeutic RNS60 in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS).  In a study recently published in the journal PLOS ONE, RNS60 halted disease progression (as measured by progressive limb paralysis), prevented inflammation in the brain and spinal column while also protecting against demyelination, a process that makes nerve cells lose their protective covering. The research demonstrated that administration of RNS60 - either at early disease onset or late at the relapsing phase - halted disease progression. Animals treated with RNS60 were protected from infiltration of inflammatory cells to the central nervous system, and thus had a significant preservation of the protective nerve covering (myelin). The full details of the study can be found in the journal PLOS ONE (Protection of Tregs, Suppression of Th1 and Th17 Cells, and Amelioration of Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis by a Physically-Modified Saline - December 20, 2012).

The study revealed further that RNS60 changed the over-reactive immune response associated with MS through increasing the population of regulatory T cells, which have protective function, while reducing the number of inflammatory Th17 T-cells. These results highlight a novel immunomodulatory role of RNS60 and suggest that this unique therapeutic may yield new treatment options for MS.  Revalesio is preparing to test RNS60 in a Phase II MS clinical trial at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York.

RNS60 is distinct from other therapeutic candidates in that it does not contain a chemical active component and instead is comprised of charge-stabilized nanostructures (CSN) in saline. The use of CSN-containing therapeutics represents a fundamentally novel approach to treating diseases. RNS60 has demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory and cellular protective activity across numerous diseases and is being investigated for clinical relevance in multiple human disease trials.  RNS60 has been tested in two Phase I safety studies and has demonstrated an excellent safety profile with no known side effects.

About RNS60
Revalesio has pioneered the use of RNS60 as a therapeutic that alters whole cell conductance through effects on voltage-gated ion channels and other voltage-sensing proteins, thereby modulating the activity of G protein-coupled receptors and the secretion of cytokines resulting in decreased inflammation and cell death. RNS60 contains CSN that are created by subjecting normal saline to Taylor-Couette-Poiseuille (TCP) flow. RNS60 has demonstrated a reduction in inflammatory responses that are linked to numerous diseases, including neurodegenerative, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

About Revalesio Corporation
Revalesio is a pioneering clinical stage biomedical company dedicated to restoring hope and transforming lives. Founded in 2000 and based in Tacoma, Washington, Revalesio has partnered with leaders in biomedical research around the world to develop RNS60. Revalesio has an extensive patent portfolio on a novel class of anti-inflammatory products and is advancing the use of CSN in neuroinflammatory, respiratory, cardiovascular and other inflammatory diseases. For more information about Revalesio, visit revalesio.com.

About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex autoimmune disease that progressively shuts down the communication between the brain and the spinal cord, causing symptoms that range from limitations in the ability to speak, problems with vision, pain and tingling sensations, fatigue to complete limb paralysis and blindness. While numerous treatments for MS are available, none of them sufficiently addresses the patients' clinical needs, and many of them possess burdensome side effects. There is currently no cure for MS.  Like other inflammatory diseases, MS involves the uncontrolled activity of immune cells. Lymphocytes and antibody-producing plasma cells infiltrate the brain and spinal cord and act in concert with resident immune cells to damage the insulating sheet around nerve cells built from a protein called myelin. Demyelination of neurons in MS ultimately leads to their inability to properly function and to their irreversible degeneration.

Press Contact:
Jesse Thomas
253-926-5567
[email protected] 

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SOURCE Revalesio Corporation